The Horseman and the Archangel
by Tarisch
Summary: After the seventh seal was broken the armys of heaven and hell hunted the horseman. But the riders were not taken by surprise and managed to evade their enemys. Now War is tasked with finding the secrest of heaven, and even thought he succeeds a well known enemy stands in his way back to his brothers. *warning violence*


The Horseman and the Archangel

Loud Steps of iron boots echoed from the walls as the Rider of the red Horse walked through the now empty angelic Hallway. The dead Body's of angelic Guards lay on the marble floor, slain by Wars giant Blade Chaoseater. He had killed them without hesitation, they stood in his way and had guarded the entrance to one of the ancient angelic libraries.

He had found what he had searched for, and was now on his way to the outside, knowing well that his violent entrance into the holy realm would have caught attention from even more angelic soldiers.

The marble door lifted itself sideways as War approached it and the Horseman stepped through onto the small bridge that lead over the nothing onto a circle round platform.

And that was where his enemy was waiting for him.

More than a dozen of angelic Warriors flew over his head clad in gold, white and blue. There mighty energy lances were aimed at him, ready to fire when the command was given.

Even thought Wars Powers where unleashed and he had the full power of an Apocalyptic Rider behind him, he knew that this small Army was dedicated enough to leave him with a dent in his life-force if not outright kill him if he was unlucky.

But the Soldiers were not the reason for his concern.

The female Angel in the middle of the Platform with her white hair and golden Eyes got his full attention.

She had changed since he had last seen her. She had lost the mechanical wings that all normal Angel Soldiers shared and instead grown two majestic wings of feathers on her back, features only held by ancient Angels or the Archangels themselves.

No Angels were born with Wings anymore, and since War had killed Abbadon, the Archangel in charge of the Hellguard, there was only one valid conclusion who had taken his place.

"So that's how we meet again Uriel." War said as he crossed over the bridge and onto the platform.

The female Angel nodded and held her smaller sword downwards to display that she was not ready for a fight. Not yet.

"You killed half a dozen of my brethren, and more if I assume that you left non alive in the library." Her voice was not accusing, just stating the facts.

"Aye, your soldiers tried to prevent me from entering the library. I killed everyone that fruitlessly stepped into my path to stop me. Many more that did the wise thing and fled may yet be alive." He had seen some unarmed citizens of Heaven hide in dark corners when he had crossed their path, but most of the soldiers had chosen to fight.

It was foolish to stand against the might of a Horseman, but he would probably have done the same if he had been in their place.

He was not a man who would abandoned his duties, and neither where the proud soldiers that had crossed his path.

Proud but now dead.

"What lead you to this remote library? And who granted you passage into the heavenly realm? Was it worth all this slaughter?"

Uriel questioned, now at last with a blink of anger in her eyes.

"We Horseman have our own ways of traveling." He answered, hiding that the Archangel Azrael had helped them cross into the heavenly Realm.

"And if you knew about the secrets that are hidden inside this library, you would see why I took the burden of killing your Soldiers." Indeed, the secrets would help him and the other Horsemans, now that heaven and hell both whished for their destruction, and it was not like he had enjoyed the slaughter like he always did.

Killing honorable Soldiers that gave their life for duty and protection was never a enjoyable task, especially when they didn't even have a chance at winning.

Azrael had asked him to spare as many of his brethren as possible, but once he had reached the entrance to the library he saw no way of hiding anymore.

And when he gave these soldiers a chance to flee, most of them decided to enter the uneven fight.

"I can't let you or the secrets you acquired escape from here Horseman. You know this."

He nodded.

She had tried to help him when the Watcher, the Dog that was appointed by the Charred Council to keep War in check had held him in his power full spell. And then she had killed the Horseman with the Armageddon Blade through is back.

She had fulfilled the Death oat they head sworn, but he still didn't know why she had tried to help him against the Watcher in the first place or if she had tried to give him a mercy kill.

But her actions had freed him and the other Horseman's as she attacked the Watcher who was dumb enough to threaten her. With luck, fate or intent, the Watcher had tried to block her blow with the seventh Seal.

That last seal that needed to be broken to resale the Horseman of the Apocalypse and truly start the end war.

The Seal was destroyed and had brought him back to live as the Horseman where released from the leash of the Charred Council and Uriel was in a way responsible for it.

He didn't enjoy the idea of killing her either.

Uriel examined the mountain of a man with the long white hair under his red hood and glowing blue eyes, the face nearly expressionless expect for anger and rage when he was in battle.

He had spared her life when they had fought the Nex Sacramentum, the fight to the death. She had thought he had killed Abbadon, her leader and the man she loved. He went on doing so, but the Abbadon she knew had been long dead as the Horseman tore his black Wings from his Back and buried the Armageddon Blade deep in his chest.

Nonetheless she had fought him in a fair duel to avenge Abbadons presumed death, and she had lost, and he had refused to kill her, even when his Watcher insisted.

When the time was right and her attempts to help him as the Watcher had him in his grasp she had stabbed him right through the Hearth with the same Blade he had used to kill Abbadon .

She had hoped to give him a mercy kill, a clean death so he would not end up as a slave to the Charred Council, as a payment for sparing her before.

But when she attacked the Watcher she also broke the Seal.

She had set events into motion that no one could foresee, and part of her had believed he had planned all of this since he had told her he had been to the tree of knowledge.

But he denied it. He simply told her that he hadn't wanted the last of heavens honor to die with her.

She knew only few things about the red Horseman, but he was no man of lies that was certain.

"You seem to have taken Abbadons Place as leader of the Hellguard. I assume that means I am not in for an easy fight." The Horseman said.

"As I told you atop of the remains of the black throne, if my duty calls me to fight against you again, I won't hesitate."

He nodded. "I expected no less."

They looked each other in the eye and came to a silent agreement.

Uriel moved her blade up and took some steps back as War lifted the massive Chaoseater from his back.

The Blade shattered the Ground and forced its way into the stone as War let it seemingly carless fall.

"Are your Soldiers going to interfere?" He asked with a small node to the angelic Guards above and around them.

Uriel understood and raised her Voice. "The Red Rider and I are going to fight a fair duel, you are not going to interfere, no matter what. If I am slain, the Horseman will not be harmed and be allowed to leave. You heard my Words."

The Soldiers expanded their distance but remained vigilant.

"To the death?" he asked, knowing full well that it was the only way this would end.

"To the death." She made clear and moved her wings in parallel to herself.

He looked on while the heavenly white of her wings turned to iron grey as the structure of the wings became deadly and cold.

He had seen it before, some other Archangels liked to fight like this, using their wings like weapons instead of weak spots that could be attacked.

"Ready?" Uriel asked in fighting stance.

He nodded, and that was all that was needed.

Without another word Uriel jumped forward and her iron Wings carried her into the fight like they were of feather.

She attacked and her wings got her very close to War before the Horseman pulled his sword out of the stone, made a short sidestep and swung his Blade at the flying Angel.

Uriel flew under the swing and shortly after a sharp curve that brought her behind the Horseman.

He had seen her, turned sharply and the giant Blade fell down on her without once halting its movement, she managed to get on her feet and brought the blunt side of her own, much shorter Blade against his.

The Sword with the screaming Faces clashed against Uriels runic sword and she bent her knees under the might of the blow, deflecting Chaoseater to the left and sideways into the ground.

When the pressure on her runic sword decreased she broke contact and jumped Sideways, letting her right wing thrust forward.

War jumped back as the sharp iron Wing nearly hit his upper abdomen, but readied Chaoseater for another swing.

But this time Uriel simply deflected the blow with her left Wing, putting her strength into it to open up Wars defenses.

With a quick jump and a slight move of her right wing she shortened the distance between them, aiming her sword at his chest.

But Wars giant metallic left Hand, which his brother Death once had cut from him in a fight, lost its grip around Chaoseaters handle and slammed her blade to the side.

He swung Chaoseater backwards and tried to cut Uriel down with it, but the Angel had folded her Wings behind her Back and moved fast under his sword and out of the danger she had put herself in.

He had defeated her once, but at this time she had been a mere angel and even then she had put up a good fight and proven her skill with the sword until he had overpowered her with his superior strength.

But he knew now that this fight would not be as easy as the last.

Uriel meanwhile let her wings carry her away from him, easily orbiting around him and scanning for the slightest opening.

But War had fought so many Wars and battles that he couldn't even remember or count them all. There was no opening in the defense of one of the greatest Swordsman the creation had brought forward.

She expanded the distance between them as she flew backwards and the runes on her sword began to glow and War awaited the impact.

Uriel threw her blade forwards like she was going to throw it at the Horseman, and a circle of blue energy escaped from her sword, aimed at War like circular saw.

The rotating energy was followed by two more as the Horseman deflected the first one with Chaoseater.

He sprinted forward and evaded the other two to bridge the gap between himself and his enemy.

Two more energy saws followed, this time horizontal to cover more room, he evaded one faster than one would have thought a man of his size could move and deflected the next one, shortly before Uriel moved up in the sky and threw half a dozen of the circular blades at him.

As he deflected them all she moved in to position, moving so close on the ground that she nearly made contact with it, she managed to evade his defending swing by a millisecond and brought her sword sideways to his stomach.

The runes on the blade glowed as it cut into the armor and drew blood.

But War didn't even feel the pain and brought Chaoseater up in a Backhand strike.

He would have cute one of her wings in two if they hadn't been of iron but threw her of balance.

She used her wings to ease her fall into two rolls before she jumped up, and performed a pirouette upside down. And as her feet connected with the ground again she ended with a back flip, turning herself mind air to face Wars direction again.

She landed on one leg, one knee, one hand and used her left wing to stabilize herself further.

All this happened in a matter of moments, and War saw that Death himself couldn't have managed to soften the blow better.

He had Chaoseater casual on his shoulder and waited for her next move, his life-force had healed the minor injury already as she jumped into the air again and began circulating him anew.

"Indeed, this fight is going to be different than the one we fought before." He mentioned just as casual as his stance.

"Indeed." She agreed as she flew her next attack, but this time War went into the offensive.

Summoning energy of his own he struck Chaoseater into the ground in front of him, many smaller geysers of blades erupted from it and moved like a stream directly into Uriels Path.

Too late to go up again she flew sideways but was brought of balance and to the ground from the bigger blades in the forefront of the stream that ate their way through the ground.

She saw that War had already moved and that she had no room to soften the fall, instead she went on her knees and struck her left wing in front of her into the ground to stop the movement that would bring her right into Chaoseaters blade.

She had not yet fully halted her movement as War closed the distance, bringing his sword down on her, she tried to deflect her blow with her left wing but the force was too strong and nearly pushed her into the ground.

She put her Wing back and brought her sword between them, only with all her strength was she able to deflect the blow to her right and was nearly decapitated as War followed up with another backhand swing.

Uriel could have moved backwards, out of Chaoseaters reach, but she knew that the only way to defeat and kill War was up close, where his giant sword would hinder him.

But even then she saw herself in front of a man that was far stronger and muscular than she ever could be, and right in his reach.

She aimed her sword at his right shoulder, but was totally blocked by Chaoseaters upward strike, and then the giant metallic left fist came sideway aiming at her head.

One direct hit would have knocked her of her feet, but she ducked down and brought her left wing against the joint of his arm.

She could hear a low grunt as he pulled his fist back but swung his sword around to her waist, she jumped up, leashed out with one of her wings in the direction of his face and performed a pirouette to stabilize herself before landing slightly less graceful then before.

Uriel brought her sword up as she was catching her breath and awaited the next attack but was surprised that War took his time to fling his hood back.

The sharp backend of her wing had cut across his Face and left a scar wide over it, cutting the red hood in turn. His life-force closed the wound already, and it wasn't deep enough to remain as a permanent scar like all the other little white sings of battle on his Face.

His long white hair was flowing in the wind as Uriel allowed herself a cocky smile.

"It seems like you have grown old since we last meet horseman. In my memory you were faster."

War answered with a smile of his own, that seemed like a grimace on a face that was so unused to one.

"I have fought the Destroyer himself, I faced Archdemons and Archangels alike and defeated them, I let entire worlds fall into chaos when you where just a child Uriel. Mock me when I am dead on the ground but not one moment earlier."

Her smile vanished because she knew how right he was, she had evaded him time and time again but even if she struck him with all her might he was capable of fighting on, jet if he would bring his sword down on her with all he could muster it would be her end.

He could take the wounds she could give him, jet he would only need one direct hit to defeat her.

She griped her sword harder and flew another attack as War sprinted into her direction, Chaoseater at his side.

The two blades clashed and Uriel deflected the blow, only to be driven back by the next swing that came with inhuman strength and speed. She jumped backwards and tried another attack immediately afterwards, only to met Wars Blade in downwards jump attack.

She nearly lost her weapon to the might of the blow and only survived the following backhand strike because she lowered herself onto one knee and crouched backwards.

The next strike came down like a living buzz saw.

Chaoseater parted the air itself and as the blade hit the ground and another stream of geyser blades erupted from it and had nearly torn Uriel apart if she hadn't rolled out of the way.

She jumped back on her feet and ducked under another of Wars wide swings before throwing her left wing into his side.

He circled out of its way without changing much of his position and brought Chaoseater down again.

Uriel took the chance she had in the millisecond he would need to bring his sword up for another strike and noticed how is metallic left was only partly ready to defend his vulnerable chest.

The runes of her sword glowed blue as she directed a strong upwards blow against War, and even thought he tried to step backwards the hit connected with armor and flesh.

He stumbled backwards, she had managed to land hits like this in the first fight they had, and even thought this one was stronger, it was nothing he couldn't take.

She pressed the attack, hoping her hit had weakened the Horseman, fling around him, striking at his legs or shoulders, only one out of three hit him, and of a dozen only one drew blood while the rest bounced harmless of his armor.

He endured the attacks that came like wasp attacks against a giant, he waited for the right moment and then he struck.

He threw the flat side of his massive Blade against her in exact the right Moment so that she would have no way of evading it.

She shielded herself with one of her wings poorly against the wall of iron that so suddenly appeared in front of her and was abrupt thrown on the ground.

Uriel rolled around evading Chaoseater by a matter of centimeters, performed a fast backwards roll and only managed to survive because she brought both her wings up against Wars Blade.

Her teeth crunched as she brought her own strength against that of the horseman, surprisingly she managed to push him some centimeters up and had managed to get of her knees, ready to break contact and retreat backwards, but a power full iron fist slammed into her stomach and drove all air out of her lungs.

Now she was stumbling backwards, crouching to lessen the pain, her sword only half up hoping the next attack wouldn't come immediately.

It didn't come immediately, but as soon as she was able to get her head up again despite the pain, the next blow followed.

He was walking right beside her, and as soon as she saw him the blade came down again, this time Uriel blocked it with only one wing and managed to deflect the giant sword just enough to the side that she could jump out of the way and bring some distance between her and the Horseman of the Apocalypse.

She had only managed to turn around and face him as he swung his sword around, connecting with the ground three times, each time a new stream of blade geyser erupted and ate their way towards her.

She managed to outmaneuver the first two, but was nearly hit by the third one if she hadn't lifted herself higher of the ground.

He admitted he had underestimated her as he avoided one of her own energy blades as he sprinted to her position.

She hadn't lifted herself far enough up as War jumped after her and brought several heavy hits against her.

Uriel had trained to deflect such blows since her first encounter with him, and she did surprisingly well, using her wings and her blade to devoid his strikes of their momentum, changing position and in one chase even flying upside down to lessen the blow.

But one of the last strikes brought her off balance and the next one scratched dangerously across her armor.

He landed with both feet on the ground and saw her trying to regain her composure, and in the next second the Abyssal Chain appeared out of his wide arsenal and manifested in his right hand.

War had already changed his weapon hand as the spear-tipped chain darted forward and nearly would have priced Uriels Leg if she hadn't seen it in the last second.

The Chain vanished again as Uriel moved out of its reach and War could do nothing but watch as she brought the sword to her chest and seemed to speak a silent prayer.

As Strife would have said now. "Play time is up."

And without needing to see what was happening War knew that his brother would be right.

Light as bright as a small sun filled Uriels Body and her Eyes were glowing from her inner fire as the other angelic Soldiers increased the distance between them and the place of Battle even further.

He had hoped to end this fight he normal Way, in their normal forms without going _there_.

It was always a act of pure Willpower to control the Beast, and even thought he liked to bath in the blood of his Enemies as much as the pure being of War that was this other form, there were Moments it lacked his finesse and certainly his honor, or for the lack of a batter word, his humanity.

He hadn't used this form in the first fight they had against each other, to not accidently kill her and to keep the fight even like every honorable Warrior should.

But now she unleashed the full Power that was given to her as an Archangel of Heaven, so it was his time to bring the full Power of a Horseman of the Apocalypse against her.

She descended down from her high Place, her eyes bathed in gold without pupils, her wings infused with lines of the same light, and she had grown in size to rival War.

And even the parts of her body that had not completely changed where totally different without anybody actually seeing it with their eyes.

War nodded as he prepared himself. Indeed, there was a reason why the old books of the humans always told about how the Angels would introduce themselves with "Fear not."

In only a fracture of moments Wars Body was suddenly filled with glowing heat, like always the pain came with it in the first few moments, but it would pass.

The powers of War incarnated lifted him up and the burning mass spread from his body and formed itself anew.

This new Body, burning like the fires of hell, it had claws as its feet and claws as its hands, horns spread out of its head and small wings from its back. Indeed one could easily think of it as a demon from hell, and War could see no irony from it trough his burning eyes, War itself was just as monstrous and deadly as them.

As the old human saying went "War is Hell on Earth" and they were right.

The essence of War gripped the burning giant blade that Chaoseater had turned into tighter and let out a roar so loud that it echoed of the nearby mountains, the angelic Soldiers trembled in fear and stones broke free from the mountains and fell into the clouded nothingness of the heavenly Realm.

Uriel took the Challenge with pride and readied her blade.

Part of War asked himself what she could see trough the power that went through her body and if it was as exhilarating as it was for him.

He was a Giant among man, ready to rip heads of and burn entire Worlds to the Ground, and only his own strength and willpower held him in check.

Without further reluctance War jumped forward and swung his blade at her, the swords clashed and Uriel deflected the blow methodical to the side before striking herself.

The clash began as the burning sword and the sword of light collided, with each further hit tremors shook the platform they were standing on and even parts of the mainland.

They fought a bitter and ruthless fight exchanging blows that would have outright killed them before, destroying parts of the columns that surrounded the Platform.

War incarnated stepped over one of such a column, crushing it while doing so and drove the Archangel in front of him away.

She answered the brute strength with methodical defense and sophisticated attacks, but neither of them seemed to be able to defeat the other.

One of Uriels Wings went through Wars Chest and the wound closed within seconds, yet one of his hits seemed to separate her leg from her waist only for the wound to close so fast that it didn't even matter it was there in the first place.

Blow for blow they met, Uriel tried to outmaneuver the far bigger Demon like being, but he kept his guard up and brought her back down on the ground when this happened, and whenever his attacks grew too fierce and dared to break her defenses she herself went on to attack and drove him back.

The fight of the Giants went on and none of the two could say how long it lasted, maybe twenty minutes, or maybe eight hours.

It didn't matter, the only thing that mattered to them was the fight both where determined to win.

One time Uriel separated his left leg and pierced his right shoulder, but the wounds healed quickly and she retreated as War brought is burning blade against her.

Another time War nearly had her down on the Ground, holding her Sword Arm pinned with his superior strength, burring his fangs in her right shoulder and nearly thrusting his sword in her stomach.

But one of her Wings came down and deflected the burning Blade.

The fight went on and the ground trembled under its force until Uriel saw a tiny opening when War defended himself form a series of attacks.

Her blade dropped below his defense and with force straight into his chest where a human would have his heart, and when she had killed him the first time with the Armageddon Blade it had took his life.

But even thought Wars burning Form screamed in pain so that heavenly crystals cracked into pieces and the flying Soldiers closed their ears with their bare hands, the Beast refused to die.

Uriel held her sword with both hands, holding it to the hilt in his twisting body forcing it to stay in place with all her strength while Wars Life-force tried to heal itself.

His Sword was blocked again by one of her wings as he lashed in pain at her, but he was far from defeated.

She warped her right leg around his left as he tried to break free and held on despite his muscular left trying to push her away.

Seeing the determinedness in her golden eyes and feeling his powers vanish he warped his left around her right arm pulling her close and plant his claws around her neck.

The fiery wings on his back grew in size and as both struggled against each other, War lifted them up in the sky.

His hands around her throat made breathing difficult for her, and even thought she was sure that this body didn't need air, the force he mustered to break her spine was even for this body nearly too much.

It was only a small jump into the air he managed with his massive body and his companion that was still determined to keep his sword in Wars heart, draining him with every second from his vital power.

Uriel felt the impact of their landing hard on her back and pain flow through her body as she still focused to keep her sword in place, but the pain multiplied as Wars fangs tore into the flesh and armor at her left shoulder.

He felt one of her wings smash against one of his horns as she aimed for his head, but he ignored it and used the advantage of his position to fling her around, burying the claws of his other leg in her belly and push her away.

He released his grasp around her neck and yanked his fangs from her flesh, using the small moment of relief in which her defenses faltered to trust his burning blade forward.

The blade ate its way through armor and bones, piercing the chest of the archangel fully.

She jerked back, losing her grip around her sword. Wars powers crumbled already as he removed her blade from his body with one hand and used his other to trust his sword upwards closer to her heart and then outwards.

He was about to jump forward and let his sword fall down on her neck, hoping to destroy the last of her life force as his own powers vanished.

The burning in his body grew higher on last time as the energies were sucked from his body, letting his form return to that of the Nephelim warrior he was.

Wars breath was short and his relief was great as his hand touched were only moments before had stuck Uriels Blade, only to feel fresh skin and armor.

The pain was still there and it felt like a giant chest bruise that added to a few more powerful hits that he had sustained during the fight from which his life force hadn't fully recovered yet.

He looked up and saw Uriel recover from her wounds as well, her wings losing their burning veins and her eyes becoming slowly normal again.

She lay on the ground and had trouble coming to her feet but her other form had healed all fatal damage before she had lost it, just as his own form had.

War noticed that he still had her sword and that her wings were still white as snow since she had recovered from the fight, so he threw it.

Uriel looked up trough tired eyes as the sword came to a halt in front of her feet.

"You were close, I give you that." War admitted still finding his breath as Uriel picked her sword up.

"I thought I had you there for a minute." She replied just as exhausted, but with no sign of surrendering.

He looked up for a moment, seeing that the host of angelic soldiers had multiplied, warriors drawn to the sound of battle.

If he wanted to get out of the realm alive he would need all the energy that he had left for escape, which meant he had to end this fight quickly.

War griped Chaoseater tighter, closed his eyes for a second to assemble himself before turning to Uriel again.

He only nodded and she answered with the same dedicated nod, both felt that their life-force was vanishing and their wounds would have trouble closing soon, until they wouldn't close anymore.

This fight needed to end.

The blades of the Archangel and the Red Rider clashed again, filling the air with the sounds of battle and letting it echo from the Mountainsides.

Uriel jumped up, over one of Wars wide swings slashing after his face, only to be blocked by his iron fist.

Here they were again, back in their mortal forms, dancing to the rhythm of metal on metal until one would fall by the hand of the other.

Their Blades collided and War redirected hers to the side, only to follow up with two short and power full swings, Uriel could evade the first swing but the second ripped her armor open and drew blood at her belly.

The pain was bearable, but it didn't reduce in the slightest, and with another quick look she saw that the wound didn't close.

War noticed the short distraction and jumped forward, using the giant blade like a lance ready to pierce the heavenly warrior.

But Uriel used his offensive against him and jumped over him, using her wings slightly to gain altitude slashing with her blade against his neck.

The wound would have been deep enough to kill a full grown ox, but the rider still stood tall, the wound slowly closing.

Only when he moved his neck, like he was trying to get the pain to leave, did she know that he was just as much in bad shape as she was.

Despite both wanting to end the fight quickly it went on much longer, both were close to killing their enemy on several occasions, but every time the other one managed to defend himself in the last moment.

They were both bruised and wounded all over when War finally managed to get in the ideal position to overpower Uriel with his far greater strength.

Uriel tried to get him into the defensive after he had wounded her left leg and attacked him with her iron wings.

She used them like extended Arms, attacking from left and right, turning her body with them to maximize the effect, she had done so before and just like before War tried to grab one of her wings to pull her closer.

Before she had jumped over his head, using the momentum he had tried to use for himself, or evaded him some other way, but now she was too weak for that, the strength of her enemy finally overwhelming her.

The metallic Arm closed around her right wing as he pulled her closer and the hilt of Chaoseater and the fist gloved in metal hit her right in the face, knocking her head back before disarming her with one quick strike.

He knew it was her end, and for a moment he had nearly hesitated even thought he couldn't put his finger on the why.

His sword went up and down again, only to be once again blocked by her other iron wing.

Chaoseater smashed to the ground as Wars gauntlet closed around Uriels neck, pressing the air out of her lungs.

He used the short moment she was stunned from the hit in the face and pinned her to the ground stepping on her left leg in the process and closing his hand even more around her throat.

He had wanted to finish this quickly and clean, pierce her heart and make sure she is dead, end of the fight.

She had been too persisted, had managed to nearly kill him on several occasions and narrowly escaped all his own killing blows.

But he had battled Gods and killed Monsters that even Gods wouldn't dare to look in the eye, if she was too agile to die with a sword through her chest, he would kill her that way.

"I would give you a cleaner death, but you are fare to great with the sword for your one good." He said without a trace of pressure in his voice like he talked to her just across the table.

Her Fists pounded against him, first at his chest and his armor, then in realization of her mistake directly against his face.

Quick strong punches hit into his face, powered by her strength and her will to live.

But War was used to take the force of strong attacks without flinching and let it slide as he felt how her hits grew less powerful with each strike.

Shortly before he was sure she would pass out a quick strike hit him in the face.

He cursed himself to not have noticed how she had managed to grabbed her sword again and disarmed her again with his metallic arm, twisting her hand while doing so.

But the short moment of distraction allowed Uriel to throw her right wing at his head and take a short but desperately needed breath.

She managed another hit and used the moment to partly free herself by desperately trying to gain altitude with her wings.

War was still standing with one iron boot on her left leg as she got dangerously close to getting free again.

He didn't hesitate and brought his other boot down on it as she tried to lift it.

She screamed in pain as the bones broke and the hit deformed the leg, one of her wings came down with rage and she managed to free her leg, but War still had his hand griped around her throat.

He stopped the next strike of her wing with his metallic arm as he felt something on his chest.

He looked down and saw her right shoe with the iron tipped heel, he also heard how her other free wing moved, but did not realize what was happening before it was already too late.

The heel thrust into his eye and he only noticed because he suddenly could only see half of what he could see before.

But then came the pain, and with Uriel trying desperately to land another hit he lifted his grip around her neck and grasped after her leg, only to find that it was much harder to hit something with only one eye.

He gasped in pain as Uriel escaped his hold and tried to ignore the pain that let his head feel like it was about to explode.

Not that his had never happened to him, he lived for centuries and many desperate enemies had tried to go for his eyes and the brain behind them when they noticed that War could take whatever they threw at him.

With the exception of a few he had managed to defend himself, and in the few chases they made it through his defends he had beaten them with one eye anyway.

But he couldn't remember the last time his life-force was so low and somebody had stabbed him with their heel.

Uriel backed away as War tried to regain his composure, trusting on her wings to carry her without putting strain on her broken left leg.

As War gripped his sword again, facing the enemy that had stolen his eye light, Uriel moved upwards and blue light began to glow in her hands as she readied another spell.

War cursed as the first blue energy beam of light fell down from the sky where he had been only seconds ago, soon another followed.

She had used this attack before, the energy beams fell down and with each beam they landed closer to War, until nine of them were connected to the ground.

The Portals through which they were called were roughly twenty meters above the ground as six of the beams started to move in a seemingly unplanned pattern and three moved slowly towards War, hunting him like prey.

The Platform was wide and if his eye weren't damaged he would have made managed to avoid the beams just like before, but this time his vision was damaged and he could feel the strain of battle on his wounded body.

Three times his skin was burned by the blue light, draining life and power from his body and the power of the beams grew even more intense.

He managed to avoid another beam of light and used the short moment to wipe blood from his chin that was dropping from his eye socket as the first crack went through the platform, letting the ground tremble.

Other cracks added to the existing one as the beams burned through the marble of the platform and let it split in pieces.

Heavenly powers held the floating stones in place as War jumped to another part of the platform that was still mostly intact while other ones drifted some meters away from their initial place through the force of the beams.

Uriel landed at a distance from him, exhausted but still standing.

War mobilized his reserves and nodded to her to make herself ready. He would not let the destruction around them stop him from ending this fight.

Uriel assembled herself and blinked the tiredness out of her eyes. She had hoped the beams would finish him off, a foolish thought she admitted now.

Once again their blades clashed and even thought both had spent most of their power Uriel still threw some of her energy blades after him or War tore the ground with his blade geysers.

They hunted each other from one remain of the platform to another, War being the driving force as his ceaseless attacks brought the Archangel with the broken leg more and more into the defensive.

But Uriel fought with the strength of a warrior who knew her time was coming.

Her Counterattacks were powerful and dedicated drawing blood wherever she could.

They had travelled most of the remaining platform as the fight finally came to an end.

Swords clashed as War beat down Uriels defenses and cut deep into her left shoulder. She screamed in pain and dropped on one knee, using one of her wings to stabilize herself in place of her broken leg.

She managed to narrowly avoid the deathblow that came down on her throat, and as War only slowly followed her retreat she lifted herself up into the air again.

Without a thought she flew a dangerous attack, and also her last.

She managed to doge under his defense and the runes on her blade where shining as she buried it in his left side.

He made no noise and took the pain, swinging Chaoseater around and hitting her.

At full health she would have managed to deflect the blow at last partly and certainly managed to divert its power.

She tried to make a back flip to do just that, but her broken leg and all the other wounds she had sustained during the fight screamed at her in pain.

Uriel stumbled and fell, having difficulty to come to her feet again.

War approached and his shadow fell upon her like the sign of doom.

Chaoseater came down like the executioner's axe it was designed to be.

One metallic wing came between the blade, denting backwards at the might of its blow.

War grew tired of the valiant defenders on her back and saw that her right wing had lost its metallic matter with her powers fading.

Without a thought he changed the target letting Chaoseater fall.

The white wing was suddenly drenched in blood, a snapping sound let him know that her wing was broken, accompanied by Uriels scream of pain.

He let Chaoseater were it was and knelt down, twisting her hand so that she let her blade fall and grapping her other wing with his gauntlet.

Sitting on her intact leg he let the first punch of his metallic arm hit her face as she desperately tried to get up.

The fear in her eyes hurt him and for a short moment he thought about picking up Chaoseater and give her a clean death, but he knew her cunning and that such kindness could mean his death.

And with no Council behind his back it would be permanent this time.

The next hit tore skin and broke her cheekbone.

He hesitated for a moment before he threw the next punch that fully knocked her to the ground.

He had killed countless enemies, most of them long forgotten, but some sneaked up in his memory from time to time.

The warriors that had stood their ground when everybody else was running, defending their honor and their people. Fighting the good fight and bringing War to his limits, desperate to protect what they loved.

They had been the best enemies, others had rivaled them in skill but never in spirit or beauty. He remembered most of them even after thousands of years.

"I will remember you." He said sadly, lifting his arm to squash her head between the ground and his iron fist, killing her and ending the fight.

"Not… long." She coughed, spiting blood.

War could feel her blade against the skin below his heart, the runes were shining and she held her sword with both hands and even broken fingers.

He could see a single teardrop build in her eyes as he suddenly burst into laughter.

His long white hair was shaking before her and his one eye straight looking at her when she joined his mad laughter, letting her feeling of defeat and pain flow with it.

For a short moment they shared that laughter, two warriors knowing their end wound come by each other's hand and laughing at fate and irony.

As sudden as he had started to laugh and as much as her own unbound laughter echoed in his ears, he stopped, lifting his Hand only a tiny bit higher.

Just as sudden her voice fell silent and he could fell the runic blade burning in his flesh as his hand fell.

"Enough!"

One simple word jumped from mountain to mountain and vibrated in the chore of the heavenly realm.

Uriels Blade stopped just in time and War held his Fist in place as another flying figure made its presence known.

The winged newcomer was one of the oldest Angels in existence, and his Wings identified him as one of the Archangels. Unlike most of his brethren his hair was bright brown and his stern face had his fair share of white little scares, evidence that he wouldn't pass a fight.

And the sword in his mighty right gauntlet was the Armageddon blade.

War lifted his head, and the glowing blue eye of the rider meet the crystal blue ones of the Archangel.

"Michael." The Horseman acknowledged the newcomer.

"This fight is over War. You lay your weapons to the ground and we will take you prisoner."

War waited a moment before he replied.

"And you really thought I would take this offer?"

The Archangel that had once cast the devil himself into the pit also waited a moment before he spoke again.

"I will fight you, and I will kill you if you leave her alive. You die against an honorable enemy and we will return your Weapons and remains to your siblings. We won't do so if you rob use from one of our Archangels in a fight that is already over."

War thought for a moment and meet Uriels eyes, defiant as ever, and he could see it in them that she was ready to end the fight they had begun.

He lifted his head again, felling Uriels blade piece slowly deeper into his skin.

His final answer was simple.

"No."

He lifted his arm, Uriel griped her sword tighter and Michael was about to fly forward as a sudden harmonica music let them freeze in their moves.

Only few that heard it recognized it as old song of the fallen human race.

The musician stopped when he noticed that no one was recognizing the song "play me the song of death" and put his harmonica back into his pocket and his mask back on.

He seat on top of a small remaining piece of the platform that had drifted higher up and tilting his head sideways like he was only now thinking about what he was doing here.

"And you are sure no one recognized that?" he asked disapprovingly, unbothered by the dozens of energy lances that aimed directly at him.

"Strife." Michael exclaimed annoyed.

"If you come to save your brother, you are too late." The Archangel griped the Armageddon blade tighter ready to cut the red rider in half.

"Well he seems alive to me." The Horseman replied uncaringly. "Yet." He added and vanished into green smoke.

In a matter of seconds the smoke arrived next to War and assembled itself back into the Horseman, dual guns drawn.

And once again the smoke played around him, turning him into something more.

It was only a quick look that the heavenly Soldiers managed but it was like a man in armor, completely in poison green substance, with a bow in his hands.

Then they were consumed by the green mist, taking their sight and causing them pain, only Michael took it like a breeze but even he needed to doge the arrow that was fired at him and nearly hit.

War picked up Chaoseater and left Uriels limb body behind as Strife transformed back into his normal form, shooting his guns in every direction and evading the golden energy bolts that were shoot at them undirected from the mist.

Strife lead the way and War followed as fast as he could while ignoring his wounds and his limits.

"Down, under the platform, up, horses." Was his only short plan as they jumped from the platform remains, avoiding most of the energy bolts and using Wars Abyssal chain and one of Strifes grappling hooks to shoot them into the bottom of another platform remain.

Another shot and another swing and they used their own force to lift them back up again.

Strife had measured briefly but they managed to fall on solid ground. And just before they would hit the ground two horses rose up from the ground like dead from the grave, one white and noble, the other red and black and burning.

Ruin managed to catch War more than he landed on his horse, Strife landed perfectly on Pestilence and hit Ruins back to get the worried phantom steed going.

Without further thoughts about his wounded rider Ruin followed Pestilence through the heavenly realm, driven by the heavenly Warriors that where hunting them.

War didn't see clearly, and his body was filled with numbing pain as they somehow managed to avoided patrols and outsmart the Hunters, only following his brother's steed until they reached the hidden Portal that had brought him to this place.

They went through and War nearly lost his consciousness.

"Hey! Hey! Are you alright?"

War shook his Head slightly. Feeling Ruins moving Body under him he slowly and painfully managed to get up.

He wanted to ask where they were but even with one eye he could see the dusty and ashen lands of the dead around them.

Strife noticed his gaze and answered before his brother could speak.

"The Dead Plains. I don't know how their Lord views us now but it seemed saver to take a less direct rout before we meet the others, don't know if they try to trace the portal somehow."

War gazed at him, his vision blurry and pain killing him.

"You know what? You really look like shit. I mean, you normally do, but that here is another level. Reminds me of that Straga dude you killed."

War only blinked with his one eye and held his metallic arm out.

"You sure that will heal? With what did the lady stab your eye out, and how he heck die she manage that?"

No answer, only one outstretched arm and a tired look.

"I kind of like you the way you are right now. Silently and humbly waiting, not the big guy with the sword of the size of a door."

War knew very well that his brother was savoring the view. There weren't many moments in his life where he had been that far down.

But with a sigh of resignation a life shard changed ownership and the energy of the shard flew into Wars wounded body.

Strife looked on fascinated as the eye of his brother re-grew until it was whole again, closing many other big wounds in the process.

"Better?" he asked sarcastically.

"Like anew. Do you have another one of those?"

Strife shook his head. "Fury or Death will sure have some more. Wasn't expecting you to get in such a bad shape. Anyway, how did you lose your eye?"

"Her heels. I was trying to strangle her. Suddenly had her boot in my face." War answered tight-lipped.

"Well that is not a way to treat a lady is it?"

War gave his brother a tired look like before, only now with both eyes.

"I mean, I would defiantly… what did the humans say? …Ask her for her number. Yes, that was it."

"She nearly managed to ram her sword into my heart and you want to ask her for dinner?"

"Well, if she is good enough to beat you, she is definitely good enough for me. If you don't ask her I will."

"And you will lose your head while at it."

"Worth it. She is a beauty you know, even after you insensitive idiot nearly smashed her face in. Like you wouldn't be able to tell."

"I admire her for her bravery and her skill with the sword. When the time comes and I kill her I will give her the honor she deserves. A quick death."

"Well that is just cold." Strife said with played sadness.

They rode on for a while, side by side in to the ashes of the plain.

"You sure you don't have her contact or something?"

She felt the pain slowly fading as she managed to open her eyes again.

"Easy there Uriel, you won't be able to stand just yet."

She saw Michael kneeling beside her, forcing a friendly smile on his otherwise stern face, a female Angel beside him, focusing energy on her wounded body.

"Where is… what…" she coughed, feeling blood on her tongue.

"Gone. Strife blinded us with his tricks and they managed to ride of on their steeds. But we closed the Portal that they went through."

Uriel cursed herself. She had been so close to killing him. She might respect the Horseman and had first hand felt his power, but he had also managed to once again slip through her grasp without justice being served.

"I will find him, and I will bring him down my Lord, I…"

"Think before you speak Uriel. Since you are an Archangel now you don't have to call me Lord anymore. And if there is a next time he is going to be more cautious, War is no enemy to be underestimated. He and I fought each other on several occasions before, in a few others even together. I think I could have defeated him the first few times when he was still young and reckless, but that is only a guess. If we would fight again today, both full rested, I could not say who would come out as victorious. He and I are known as Swordmasters in the Creation for a reason. We never managed to settle that matter and we probably never will.

But you did good today Uriel. I can't say I would have done better. But making War himself your sworn enemy might not give you a long life nor be a wise idea."

"We will see about that." She said, dedicated to net let his warnings stop her from another fight with the Horseman.

Michael signaled the other woman to leave and Uriel felt part of the pain rushing back into her body.

"Your leg and wing will heal, your cheekbone is already repaired and most of your other wounds were taken care of. In some days you will be as good as ever. Maybe it will leave a scar on your shoulder. But it would be sad to have fought the Horseman and have no scar to prove it."

He said jokingly, a thousand of years old angel trying to be friendly.

"The soldiers said that he talked about a secret inside this library. Did he say something else about it?" the face of the Archangel was now back to stern and intimidating, his voice low.

"He said it was worth killing our soldiers for it. Nothing more." She answered, her eyes narrowing and estimating if he knew what War had found and remembering that schemes and lies weren't completely unheard of even in heaven.

"Do you know what he was talking about." She asked, hoping to not step too far.

"This library holds many secrets, so many and so old in fact that I don't know which he could have meant." The Archangel sighed his stern blue eyes suddenly far away and… worried?

"I will search the library myself, we will talk about this in a few days when you are at full capacity."

He stood up from the ground and spread his white wings, making his way to the entrance of the library as the female angel returned and tended to Uriels wounds.

Michael stepped through the door, regarding the dead bodies of the slain heavenly soldiers with a small node of respect before advancing into the darkness of the library.

Because even heaven had its secrets slumbering in the darkness.

The Horseman and the Archangel


End file.
